Portraits of men painted with pastel and pencil

The high time of painted portraits stretches from the late middle ages into the 17th century. Besides lords, highly placed members of the clergy and peers, since the 15th century, especially commoners such as merchants, bankers, craftsmen, humanistic academics and artists had themselves captured on canvas and by that literally ”put into the picture”.

The high time of painted portraits stretches from the late middle ages into the 17th century. Besides lords, highly placed members of the clergy and peers, since the 15th century, especially commoners such as merchants, bankers, craftsmen, humanistic academics and artists had themselves captured on canvas and by that literally "put into the picture". It is that time that brought forth all the types and forms of portrait painting which came to dominate the genre over the following centuries. That though only applies to the full-length portrait which at that time was reserved for the gentry. Next to that a number of variations of the head-and-shoulders portrait – the form that prevails in this genre – crystallized, with its variations ranging from dignified, hierarchical profile views, three-quarter vies as well as the one-half portrait up to the frontal, very often highly suggestive, en-face view. A portrait painted in the 21st century can therefore cherry-pick out of a centuries-old pool of traditional art forms, it has all possibilities and is not restricted by any hierarchical rules whatsoever.